Ancient Town

At the foot of the Yinling Sect Mountain, there is a large river called Yuan River. When Su Yu led his men to this place, it was almost noon.

"That's it!"

Kurama shouted and stepped forward to stop the ghostly thing, but Su Yu picked him up first.

"Wait a minute, don't be so impulsive, let's see where it runs off to first."

The black figure resembled a half-grown child, covered in rotting water plants. Its black claws dripped foul-smelling muddy water, and its crimson eyes stared intently at the river. A series of hissing sounds, like the cries of an infant, escaped its throat, stirring up cold ripples on the surface of the pool.

"Is this... Shui Xiao?"

"What is Shui Xiao?" Ka-jie interrupted Su Yu, who was talking to himself.

"It's a water demon that has cultivated for many years in the deep pools of rivers and lakes. It is incredibly strong and fast underwater. It specializes in pulling people who have fallen into the water and dragging them to the bottom to take their place. It can also imitate the crying of a baby or a woman's cry for help to lure passersby to the water's edge. Those with higher cultivation can even release water mist to bewitch people's minds, causing them to hallucinate and become disoriented, thus making them willingly walk into the water."

"That sounds really mysterious..." Young Master Malfoy took a few steps back, feeling somewhat like crying. He and these kinds of Sickle from East University were truly incompatible; they were afraid of everything they saw, and they were his nemesis.

The group remained hidden in the shadows, watching the Shui Xiao leap into the river. With Yousu Yu's Tenseigan present, the Shui Xiao had no chance of escaping.

"This really surprised me."

Su Yu watched as the Shui Xiao swam deeper and deeper before disappearing from sight. He then turned back to discuss a plan with Ka-jie. It turned out that Su Yu had discovered a teleportation device at the bottom of the river, and the Shui Xiao had escaped through this device.

"But the one thing we're not good at is naval warfare..."

What Ka-jie said is true. Whether in the West or the East, underwater warfare has always been a challenge. Compared to these creatures, humans have a natural advantage in underwater combat.

Su Yu could only send a few Water Clone Technique to check the situation first, and then make a plan after seeing what was on the other side of the portal.

After waiting for a while, until the Water Clone Technique dissipated and returned to Su Yu's body, Su Yu opened his eyes. The other side of the teleportation portal was actually a town hidden under a large lake!

The town lies at the bottom of a deep lake, where an ancient barrier, almost transparent in color, stretches out, effectively isolating the surging lake waters from the outside.

Beyond the barrier lies a turbulent, dark lake. Fish and aquatic plants drift slowly outside the barrier, and the waves crash against the invisible screen, creating only tiny ripples, with not a single drop of water seeping in.

Within the barrier, there was a world filled with air.

After the Water Clone Technique entered the portal, an ancient town submerged at the bottom of the lake quietly unfolded before their eyes, filled with the simple and rustic brick and wood buildings of old Jiangnan.

The bluestone streets were covered with dark water stains, and black algae filaments crawled in the cracks, making a sticky squeaking sound when stepped on.

On both sides are old-style wooden buildings in the Jiangnan style, with dilapidated and crooked eaves and corners. Many beams and pillars have rotted and turned black, and most of the carved wooden windows are broken. The dark windows are like empty eye sockets, coldly staring at the empty streets and alleys.

The doors of the taverns and shops along the street were crooked and askew, some half-open, and some had already collapsed to the ground.

The high-hanging banner had long since rotted into shreds, with tattered strips hanging from the eaves. Even without wind, they would inexplicably tremble slightly, emitting a faint, eerie rustling sound.

In the center of the long street stands a mottled stone archway, its stone carvings blurred by the erosion of time. Thick dust has accumulated beneath the archway, and scattered among it are pottery jars and broken porcelain shards abandoned countless years ago.

Inside the house, the tables and chairs remained the same, and bowls and chopsticks were casually placed on the table. The stove had long since cooled down, and the old well at the street corner was wide open, its bottom dark and unfathomable.

In the distance, the temple doors were ajar, and the paint on the statues inside was peeling, their features blurred and distorted, looking particularly strange in the dim light.

Although there was no lake, the air was filled with a lingering damp, rotten smell. The empty streets stretched endlessly into the darkness, as if something might peek out from the broken windows at any moment.

After confirming that there was no danger on the other side of the portal, Su Yu used Chakra to form an air bubble, enveloping the group, and jumped into the river, arriving at the ancient town through the portal.

The streets were deserted, not a soul in sight. The entire town was deathly silent. Although everything was intact, the eeriness of the streets and alleys sent chills down one's spine.

"Do you think this might be their Underworld?"

Malfoy poked his head out from Pansy's arms, his voice trembling slightly.

"I think you should practice more; desensitization will be enough."

Theodore patted Malfoy on the shoulder, looked around, and thought to himself how great it would be if this place could be turned into a library, then no one would bother him while he read.

At this moment of utter silence.

jingle--

A clear, ringing bell suddenly rang out without warning.

Young Master Malfoy was the first to react, immediately wrapping his arms around Pansy's neck in a princess carry and lifting her up. "You stinky Malfoy, how am I supposed to cast spells like this!"

"It seems like a fight is taking place over there in the distance?"

Ka-jie Apparition to a high place and looked at the large group of Shui Xiao that appeared in the distance, talking to Su Yu beside her.

"Indeed, I also saw the figures of four living people inside the Shui Xiao."

"Should we make a move, boss?"

"Let's see how things go first. Don't be afraid, Malfoy, we're about to set off."

Meng You is a disciple of the Sage Meng Family. Today, he accompanied three companions to Dongting Lake to carry out the inspection mission of the Cultivation Bureau. However, the mission was going well, but Yue Li, who was traveling with him, was suddenly grabbed by a large hand that reached out from the lake and pulled into the depths of Dongting Lake.

Seeing this, Meng You didn't think much of it and followed the other two into the water to rescue their companion. The four of them ended up in this ancient town by sheer bad luck.

But that wasn't the end of it. After Meng You and the other two reunited with Yue Li, they were surrounded by a group of Shui Xiao. These Shui Xiao had extremely high defense and could cooperate with each other, which put the four of them in a tough battle.

"The frosty tip opens up the distant pass, the brushstroke breaks through the layers of shadow!"

Meng You's body condensed into a long sword of spiritual energy, which he thrust straight at the Shui Xiao in front of him. However, he saw a large group of Shui Xiao appearing behind him, so he quickly turned around and shouted.

"A long wind blows, unfurling the scrolls; its vast expanse fills the flat forest!"

Countless phantom scrolls flew and swept across the area, constantly impacting the monsters that were about to rush up from behind. Waves of attacks spread outwards, suppressing these Shui Xiao.

Sure enough, Su Yu sighed, "Confucian cultivators really have that kind of imposing presence. Even their attacks are pleasing to the eye, exuding a refined elegance. If I and Kurama were to go up there, we could only manage to shout 'Awesome!' at most..."

The other burly man was clearly a well-built individual, with a muscular physique that accentuated his tall and imposing figure. He had bronze skin, and his coarse cloth short jacket was stretched taut by his bulging muscles.

With broad shoulders, a thick back, bulging muscles in his arms, a firm chest and abdomen, and strong, powerful legs, he exuded no aura of spiritual energy, yet with each punch, a Shui Xiao would be reduced to a bloody mist.

The Daoist priest beside him wore a dark blue robe with embroidered Bagua patterns on the cuffs. His hair was tied up in a wooden hairpin, and he held a copper coin sword tightly in his hand. The ancient copper coins were strung together with red rope, and their copper color was mottled and dark.

With a cloth bag slung across his back containing yellow talismans and peach wood nails, and a copper bell hanging from his waist, he had a cold and stern look in his eyes and a steady gait. He wielded a copper coin sword, slashing at the Shui Xiao that the body cultivators had missed. Occasionally, he would take out a talisman and stick it on their heads, rendering them unable to move.

"Yue Li! Aren't you ready yet? We can't hold on much longer!"

Meng You was panting heavily, his body was starting to feel the strain from constantly using magic. He turned back to look at Yue Li, who was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, and shouted loudly.

"Don't rush me! I'm still trying to communicate with her. Snake Immortal Granny isn't really willing to come out. What can I do?"

"Wow, there's a Chuma Immortal here too!" Su Yu looked at Yue Li curiously. Suddenly, the girl opened her eyes, shouted "It's done!", and then made complicated hand gestures.

"Hearing of your profound cultivation over the years, your presence hidden amidst towering peaks. The incense smoke seems to reach the celestial abode; I wish to borrow your divine power to connect with this body and manifest myself in the mortal world!"

"Respectfully inviting Snake Immortal Granny!"

A soft, cool aura slowly rose from the soles of her feet, sending tingling sensations through her limbs, and the surrounding air seemed to tremble subtly like ripples on water.

Yue Li's shoulders trembled slightly, her gaze suddenly shifting. A hoarse, effeminate voice, unlike her own, rose from the depths of her throat:

"Sigh, you've gotten yourself into trouble again. Well, since I've already asked you, I'll lend a hand this time."